Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and E-P5 (16MP) but they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was announced 3 years before the E-P5 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-P3 scores against the E-P5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Olympus PEN E-P5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Olympus E-P5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 has got outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P5 has specifications of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 against the E-P5.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and E-P5 is 86 and 85 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by reading a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and E-P5.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Olympus E-P5 to offer extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.